Skyrim Ring of Hircine: Complete Guide to Obtaining, Using, and Maximizing This Legendary Artifact

The Ring of Hircine sits alongside the best Daedric artifacts in Skyrim, but unlike most, it’s tangled up in one of the game’s most morally complex quests. If you’re running a werewolf build, or even just considering the Beast Form as a situational tool, this ring fundamentally changes how you approach combat. Instead of being locked into a single transformation per day, you gain the freedom to shift as often as tactics demand.

But obtaining it isn’t straightforward. The “Ill Met By Moonlight” quest forces a decision that locks you into one of two rewards, and if you don’t know the exploit, you’ll miss out on either the ring or the Savior’s Hide armor. This guide walks through the entire process: where to start, how to navigate the quest’s branching paths, and the specific steps to claim both rewards if you’re willing to bend the rules a bit. Whether you’re chasing the perfect werewolf build or just want to understand what you’re getting into, here’s everything you need to know about Hircine’s signature artifact.

What Is the Ring of Hircine in Skyrim?

Lore and Significance of Hircine’s Ring

Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt, isn’t known for subtlety. His artifacts reflect his obsession with predation, transformation, and the thrill of the chase. The Ring of Hircine originally belonged to a werewolf named Sinding, who stole it hoping to control his transformations. Instead, the ring turned out to be cursed, forcing random, uncontrollable shifts that led Sinding to kill a little girl during a hunting trip gone wrong.

The ring’s curse is Hircine’s idea of a joke, a punishment for those who try to escape the nature of the beast. Once you complete the associated quest, though, Hircine lifts the curse and the ring becomes one of the most powerful tools for werewolf players in the game.

In terms of lore weight, it sits firmly in the top tier of Daedric artifacts. Hircine’s influence pervades the Companions questline, and if you’ve taken the Beast Blood, this ring is essentially his blessing to hunt without restraint.

How the Ring of Hircine Works

Once uncursed, the Ring of Hircine grants an additional werewolf transformation per day. Normally, Beast Form is limited to a single use per 24-hour in-game cycle. With the ring equipped, you effectively get two transformations daily, or unlimited if you’re using it strategically alongside the Totem of the Hunt and specific perk combinations.

The ring occupies a standard ring slot and can be worn alongside any other equipment. It has no stat bonuses outside the transformation benefit, so if you’re not actively leveraging Beast Form, it’s dead weight compared to rings that boost magicka, stamina, or carry weight.

For werewolf-focused builds, though, this is non-negotiable. The ability to transform twice in a single dungeon crawl or during back-to-back dragon fights is a game-changer, especially on higher difficulties where a single transformation might not carry you through an entire encounter.

How to Start the Ill Met By Moonlight Quest

Finding the Cursed Ring of Hircine

The quest triggers when you enter Falkreath, specifically the area around the Falkreath jail. You don’t need to be at any particular level, and the quest is available as soon as you can physically reach the town. Most players stumble into it naturally while exploring the southern holds or pursuing the Dark Brotherhood questline.

As you approach the jail, you’ll overhear guards or townsfolk talking about a prisoner, a man who killed a child and is awaiting execution. The dialogue will point you directly toward the jail’s entrance. If you miss the ambient dialogue, you can also trigger the quest by speaking to Mathies or Indara Caerellia in Falkreath, both of whom will mention the tragedy.

Once the quest is active, your journal updates with “Ill Met By Moonlight,” and your objective becomes clear: investigate the prisoner in Falkreath jail.

Meeting Sinding in Falkreath Jail

Head into the Falkreath Barracks and make your way to the jail cell in the back. You’ll find Sinding, a Nord werewolf, locked up and surprisingly calm given the circumstances. He explains that he stole the Cursed Ring of Hircine from a hunting group, hoping it would help him control his lycanthropy. Instead, it forced transformations at random, and during one such episode, he killed a young girl.

Sinding asks for your help. He wants you to take the ring and return it to Hircine, lifting the curse so he can die with some measure of peace. He hands over the Cursed Ring of Hircine, which you’re now stuck wearing until you complete the quest, it can’t be removed manually.

The moment you equip the ring, you’ll notice the curse in action if you’re a werewolf: random transformations can trigger without warning. If you’re not a werewolf, the ring does nothing except occupy a slot.

Sinding then mentions he’s planning to escape to Bloated Man’s Grotto to make his last stand. Your next objective is to track him down and decide his fate, but we’ll get to that in the next section.

Complete Walkthrough: Ill Met By Moonlight Quest

Entering Bloated Man’s Grotto

Bloated Man’s Grotto is located southwest of Falkreath, nestled in the hills near the border with Cyrodiil. It’s not marked on your map until the quest is active, so follow your quest marker. The entrance is a small cave mouth that’s easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.

Inside, the grotto is a mix of natural caverns and overgrown ruins, with a central waterfall and plenty of vertical space. You’ll encounter hunters almost immediately, these are Hircine’s spectral hunters, not standard bandits. They’re ghostly, equipped with hunting bows and axes, and they respawn as long as Sinding is alive and the quest is active.

Fight your way through the grotto. The hunters aren’t particularly tough, but they can overwhelm you in groups if you’re underleveled. Sinding is deeper inside, near the large tree in the central chamber. When you reach him, he’ll be in werewolf form, and this is where the quest diverges based on your choice.

The Critical Choice: Kill or Spare Sinding

You have two options here, and they determine which reward you receive:

Option 1: Kill Sinding

If you attack and kill Sinding in werewolf form, Hircine will appear (via spectral projection) and congratulate you on a successful hunt. He’ll then uncurse the ring and allow you to keep it as a reward. The Ring of Hircine is now fully functional, granting additional transformations per day.

This is the “hunt” path, and it aligns with Hircine’s philosophy: the strong kill the weak, and you’ve proven yourself the apex predator.

Option 2: Spare Sinding

If you choose to help Sinding instead, you’ll need to kill all of Hircine’s hunters in the grotto. Once the last hunter falls, Hircine appears again, but this time, he’s impressed by your defiance. He removes the curse from the ring but takes the ring itself back, then rewards you with the Savior’s Hide, a unique light armor chest piece with strong poison and magic resistance.

Sinding survives and thanks you before disappearing into the wilderness. You walk away with armor instead of the ring.

Most players prefer the ring for werewolf builds, but the Savior’s Hide is objectively better for non-werewolf characters, especially stealth or archery builds that benefit from light armor bonuses. The choice comes down to your playstyle and whether you value transformation flexibility or defensive stats.

How to Get Both the Ring of Hircine and Savior’s Hide

Step-by-Step Exploit Method

If you want both rewards, there’s a well-known exploit that’s been part of Skyrim’s community knowledge since the original 2011 release. It works on all versions of the game, including the Special Edition and Anniversary Edition, as Bethesda has never patched it.

Here’s the exact process:

1. Help Sinding kill all the hunters in Bloated Man’s Grotto. Do not attack Sinding at any point during this phase. Clear the entire grotto until Hircine’s dialogue triggers and he takes the cursed ring back, awarding you the Savior’s Hide.

2. Immediately after receiving the Savior’s Hide, before leaving the grotto, turn around and kill Sinding. He’ll still be in werewolf form near the tree.

3. Skin Sinding’s corpse. When you loot his body, you’ll find the Skin of Sinding (not the ring). Take it.

4. Leave Bloated Man’s Grotto and go back outside. Hircine’s spectral form will appear again, congratulating you on the hunt. He’ll then transform the Skin of Sinding in your inventory into the uncursed Ring of Hircine.

You now have both the ring and the armor. The game doesn’t flag this as a bug because Hircine’s dialogue and reward triggers are tied to specific events, and the order you complete them in creates a loophole.

Platform-Specific Considerations

This exploit works identically on **PC, PlayStation (PS3, PS4, PS5), Xbox (360, One, Series X

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S), and Nintendo Switch**. There are no platform-exclusive differences in how the quest or rewards function.

That said, PC players have the additional option of using console commands if the exploit fails or if they want to bypass the quest entirely. The command player.additem 0002AC60 1 adds the uncursed Ring of Hircine directly to your inventory, while player.additem 0002AC61 1 gives you the Savior’s Hide. Use these only if you’re comfortable with console commands and understand they can disable achievements on unmodded playthroughs.

On consoles, your only route is the exploit. If you mess up the sequence, say, you kill Sinding before clearing all the hunters, you’ll lock yourself into the ring-only path and lose access to the Savior’s Hide for that playthrough.

Ring of Hircine Stats, Effects, and Benefits

Unlimited Werewolf Transformations Explained

The Ring of Hircine grants one additional Beast Form transformation per day. In practice, this means:

• Without the ring: 1 transformation per day (resets at midnight in-game).
• With the ring: 2 transformations per day.

If you’re running the Totem of the Hunt perk (unlocked via the Companions questline and Aela’s radiant quests), you can use your Beast Form’s Howl of Terror ability to feed and extend your transformation duration indefinitely. Combined with the ring’s extra use, you can effectively stay in werewolf form for entire dungeon runs or long combat sequences without reverting.

This is especially useful in higher-difficulty playthroughs where a single transformation might not provide enough time to clear a location. The ring acts as insurance, if your first transformation runs out mid-fight, you can immediately shift again and finish the job.

There’s also a niche interaction with the Ring of the Beast, but that’s a completely separate item from a different quest, so don’t confuse the two.

Comparison With Other Werewolf Perks

The Ring of Hircine stacks with all werewolf perks from the Beast Form skill tree, most notably:

• Animal Vigor: +100 health and stamina in Beast Form.
• Gorging: Feeding heals twice as much health.
• Savage Feeding: Able to feed on most dead humanoids, not just corpses you’ve killed.
• Totem of the Hunt: Detect life within 75 feet (the key to infinite transformation time).

The ring doesn’t grant any passive stat boosts outside of the extra transformation, so it’s not a DPS increase by itself. But, the flexibility it provides, being able to transform twice in rapid succession or split transformations across different encounters in the same in-game day, makes it one of the highest-value items for werewolf builds.

Compared to other rings like the Ring of Namira (health and stamina boost when feeding) or the Ring of the Beast (fortify unarmed damage), the Ring of Hircine is more specialized. If you’re not using Beast Form regularly, you’re better off equipping something with flat stat bonuses. But for dedicated werewolf players, this is the best-in-slot ring, no contest.

Best Builds and Character Types for the Ring of Hircine

Werewolf-Focused Builds

The Ring of Hircine is tailor-made for pure werewolf builds, where Beast Form is your primary combat mode rather than a situational tool. Here’s the optimal setup:

• Race: Nord or Redguard. Nords get frost resistance (useful since you lose armor bonuses in Beast Form), and Redguards have stamina sustain via Adrenaline Rush, which helps before transforming.
• Standing Stone: The Lord Stone (+50 armor, 25% magic resistance) or The Warrior Stone (faster combat skill leveling). Avoid The Beast Stone unless you’re already maxed out, the faster power attacks don’t outweigh the defensive utility of The Lord.
• Perks: Focus on the entire Beast Form tree. Prioritize Totem of the Hunt first, then Animal Vigor and Gorging. Skip Totem of Terror and Totem of the Predator unless you’re role-playing: they’re situational at best.
• Gear: The ring, obviously. For armor, wear light gear with stamina bonuses (since you’ll be in human form during downtime). The Savior’s Hide pairs perfectly if you used the exploit, as it’s light armor with solid resistances.

This build turns you into a monster that can clear entire dungeons without reverting. Use the first transformation to thin out groups, then shift back and re-engage in human form if needed. The second transformation is your ace in the hole for bosses or unexpected ambushes.

Hybrid Playstyles and Combat Strategies

If you’re running a hybrid build, say, a two-handed warrior who transforms only when things get hairy, the Ring of Hircine still earns its slot. Here’s how to integrate it:

• Emergency Button: Use Beast Form as a panic button when surrounded or low on health. The transformation fully restores health and makes you immune to all damage for the duration of the shift animation. With the ring, you can do this twice per day instead of once, effectively doubling your “get out of jail free” cards.
• Boss Burst: Save your transformations for tough fights (dragon priests, Draugr Deathlords, dragons). The raw DPS of Beast Form is competitive with endgame melee builds, and the mobility helps against ranged enemies.
• Stealth Synergy: Werewolves can sprint indefinitely in Beast Form, making them excellent for stealth and exploration builds that need to reposition quickly or escape bad situations. Transform, sprint to safety, revert, and re-enter stealth.

For hybrids, the ring is less about maximizing uptime and more about tactical flexibility. You’re not reliant on Beast Form, but having it available twice per day opens up aggressive plays that would otherwise be too risky.

Cursed Ring of Hircine vs. Uncursed Ring: Key Differences

The Cursed Ring of Hircine (the version Sinding gives you) and the uncursed Ring of Hircine (the quest reward) are functionally different items, even though they share a name.

Cursed Ring of Hircine:

• Cannot be unequipped manually. It’s stuck on your finger until you complete “Ill Met By Moonlight.”
• Forces random, uncontrollable werewolf transformations if you’re infected with lycanthropy. These happen without warning and can trigger mid-combat or during dialogue, which is catastrophic in towns (guards will attack you).
• If you’re not a werewolf, the cursed ring does absolutely nothing. It’s just a dead ring slot.
• No positive effects. It’s purely a quest item with negative consequences.

Uncursed Ring of Hircine:

• Can be equipped and unequipped freely.
• Grants one additional Beast Form transformation per day (the core benefit).
• No random transformations. You’re in full control.
• Only useful if you’re a werewolf. Non-werewolf characters get zero benefit from equipping it.

The cursed version is essentially Hircine testing you. It’s a punishment for Sinding’s theft and a trial for anyone who takes it. Once you prove yourself by completing the quest (either by hunting Sinding or defying Hircine’s hunters), the curse is lifted and the ring becomes one of the best werewolf tools in the game.

If you’re not a werewolf and you’re doing this quest purely for the Savior’s Hide, the cursed ring is just an annoyance you endure until the quest is over. The uncursed version has no value to you, so helping Sinding is the obvious choice.

Common Issues, Bugs, and Fixes

Quest Not Starting or Ring Not Appearing

Some players report “Ill Met By Moonlight” never triggers, even after entering Falkreath multiple times. This is usually caused by:

• Level scaling: While the quest has no hard level requirement, some radiant quest systems prioritize other content if you’re below level 10. Try leveling up a bit and returning.
• Civil War progression: If you’ve completed the Civil War questline and Falkreath changed hands, some dialogue triggers can break. Fast travel away, wait 48 in-game hours, and return.
• Mod conflicts: If you’re running mods from Nexus Mods that alter Falkreath, the jail, or Daedric quests, disable them temporarily to see if the quest starts.

If the cursed ring doesn’t appear in your inventory after talking to Sinding, it’s likely a bug. On PC, use the console command player.additem 0002AC61 1 to force-add the cursed ring. On consoles, reload a save from before entering the jail and try again.

Transformation Glitches and Console Commands

Occasionally, the extra transformation from the ring doesn’t register, leaving you with only one use per day. This is often tied to the game’s internal clock resetting incorrectly. Fixes include:

• Wait 24 in-game hours: Manually wait (via the T key on PC or the Wait menu on consoles) for a full day cycle. This forces the game to reset transformation counters.
• Sleep in a bed: Resting in an owned bed also triggers a clock reset and is more reliable than waiting in some cases.
• Re-equip the ring: Take it off, drop it on the ground, pick it up, and re-equip. This refreshes the item’s script.

On PC, if the ring’s effect is permanently broken, you can use the console to remove and re-add it: player.removeitem 0002AC60 1 followed by player.additem 0002AC60 1. This resets the item’s script entirely.

Another rare bug: the cursed ring stays cursed even after completing the quest. If this happens, it’s a script failure. Reload a save from before turning in the quest, or on PC, use player.removeitem 0002AC61 1 to forcibly remove the cursed version before manually adding the uncursed one.

Conclusion

The Ring of Hircine isn’t just a quality-of-life upgrade for werewolf builds, it’s a core pillar that unlocks aggressive, transformation-heavy playstyles that would otherwise be impossible. Whether you’re running a pure Beast Form character or using lycanthropy as a tactical option, the extra daily transformation makes a tangible difference in how you approach combat, exploration, and dungeon crawling.

The quest itself is one of Skyrim’s better Daedric arcs, with moral weight and meaningful consequences. And if you’re willing to exploit the mechanics a bit, you can walk away with both the ring and the Savior’s Hide, giving you options for multiple builds on the same character.

If you’re serious about werewolf gameplay, this artifact is non-negotiable. If you’re not, the Savior’s Hide is still worth the trip. Either way, “Ill Met By Moonlight” delivers one of the more memorable rewards in the game, and now you know exactly how to claim it.